


Patriotic Wrestling

by GinnyK



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Episode Tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-06-30
Updated: 2002-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-31 04:46:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15112079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinnyK/pseuds/GinnyK
Summary: Post Ep -Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail





	Patriotic Wrestling

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

 

**Patriotic Wrestling**

**by:** Ginny 

**Category:** Post-ep to _Somebody's Going to Emergency, Somebody's Going to Jail_   
**Character:** Jed Bartlet  
**Rating:** YTEEN 

Friday 9:00  
White House Residence 

Finally, the phone calls are done and Charlie is on his way home. 

Alone at last. 

Abbey's in New Hampshire for a few days and I guess that is just as well. She won't discuss re-election over the phone so it gives me more time to think 

I know how she feels and she thinks she knows how I feel. That's pretty impressive because I'm not sure how I feel. 

Actually, I do know how I feel, torn. Like I'm in a wrestling match between what's good for the country and what's good for me. 

That reminds me of this quote Abbey wrote down for me when I was in the middle of the campaign. I carried the little piece of paper around for months and even had it in my pocket when I took the oath of office. I can't remember the whole thing; I know I still have the paper. It's in an envelope with all the other things Abbey has written down for me over the years, in the box with my grandfather's cufflinks, my grandmother's pearls and Abbey's love letters to me. 

Yes, I confess, I, Josiah Bartlet am a hopeless, unorganized packrat. 

If only I could remember where the box is.....wait, top dresser drawer, got it. 

"A patriot is one who wrestles for the soul of his country as he wrestles for his own being" 

I think a woman actually said it so Abbey changed the pronouns when she wrote it, but the idea is still the same. 

I guess that makes me a patriot. And I future statesman but let's not get into that again. 

When I made the deal with Abbey to only serve one term I didn't count on liking this job so much. But I love it and I'm good at it, at least I think I am. I love the people here; this staff is like family to me, to us. I can't imagine not seeing them everyday.

When I am ready to make the decision Abbey and I will make it together, the same way we have made important decisions for over 30 years. 

I just don't know how much more wrestling I can take. Is a second term worth jeopardizing my health and possible my marriage. The obvious answer is, hell no. But the patriot in me feels a sense of duty. I know, I told Leo to use the same line on Ainsley. But it worked, didn't it? 

So in the near future Abbey and I will have to sit down and, well, fight. There's no way around it, we will be fighting. We'll both dig in our heels and show our stubborn streaks. And when it is over, a decision will have been made. Then we will kiss and make up, like always. 

For now I'm not sure how much longer I can keep Leo in the dark. He's been my best friend for 40 years. He can read me like a book and he knows something is bothering me. He knows Abbey worries about my health. He does too. He tries not to show it or spend too much time asking me if I feel OK. He looked pretty worried when I left the Oval Office at 7:30 tonight. I had a headache but otherwise I was physically fine. But emotionally, I don't know. The events of the past month were catching up to me, 

The State of the Union  
Colombia  
Fighting with Abbey  
Fighting with Ellie  
The situation with Millie  
Big Block of Cheese Day, and the whining that always accompanies it 

And let's not forget the major cause of tonight's headache, 

The Presidential Library 

This whole thing is ridiculous. Why do I have to pick a site now? I could, after all be here another 6 years. I had the perfect site picked out. But I had to be the Governor who managed to screw that up. I have to admire Charlie, he almost kept a straight face when I realized I was the "plaid, flannel wearing, cheese eating, yahoo of a milkman Governor" who signed that into law. 

I wonder, why is it that so many of my decisions seem to come back to bite me in the ass? 

I can only hope the decision about re-election won't do that. But who am I kidding? Now matter what we decide it will come back to haunt me in one way or another. 

But for now, since Abbey is not here to discuss that matter I might as well try and get some much needed sleep. But here's the thing, my body is tired but my brain is wide awake. And I know all too well that going to bed with my brain going full speed ahead is a bad idea. 

So maybe a few games of chess against myself. Inside this time, it's way too cold outside tonight. 

THE END   



End file.
